event Dierks Bentley

The Texas music scene, for all its grounding in outlaw-country traditions, has become a big tent in recent years, and one of its most consistently entertaining acts is Hayes Carll. Born in the Houston suburbs, Carll’s music career was a slow starter; unable to make a go of it in Austin, he worked a variety of odd jobs before finding some success as a songwriter for other artists. By the time his first record came out, he’d found a distinctive voice, a combination of Willie Nelson at his most laid-back and Townes Van Zandt at his most confessional. His 2008 album Trouble In Mind was a breakout success, taking him past the Americana and country charts and into the unfamiliar territory of mainstream critical success.